The 2021/ 2022 Australian racing season has brought continuing success on the track and in the sale ring to Widden Stud and our clients with the addition of new stallions this year holding promise for the future.
For exciting young sires Trapeze Artist and Written By, the future is now and they will have their first 2YO runners this spring.
A four time Group I winning son of champion sire Snitzel, Trapeze Artist had yearlings sell for up to $850,000 with 38 selling for $200,000 or more and has 67 entries for the 2023 Golden Slipper making him the most represented of all first season sires.
A Champion 2YO Colt by Written Tycoon, Written By had yearlings sell for up to $410,000 and averaged $150,000 at the majors off a $22,500 service fee delivering a great result for his supporters. He also has a strong hand for the Golden Slipper with 41 entries.
Zoustar’s stunning son Zousain is poised to make an impact at the 2023 yearling sales with a small selection of his first weanlings selling this year for up to $130,000.
Widden Stud are backing the Northern Meteor sireline again this spring with the addition of Deep Field’s Group I winning sprinter Portland Sky to the NSW roster along with Rebel Dane, the Champion Australian 2YO Sire for 2021/2022.
From two small crops to race, Rebel Dane has made a huge impact with his superstar filly Fireburn winning both the Group I ATC Golden Slipper and Sires Produce stakes this season.
We look forward to giving Rebel Dane the opportunity to build on his early achievements to generate commercial success going forward.
Widden Victoria is the only stud in Australia to stand three members of the ‘century club’ this season and we could not be more proud of Nicconi (127 winners & $17.7m+), Magnus (112 winners & $8.1m+) and Star Witness (120 & $7m+).
The trio of sires produced over 350 winners combined, with 560+ wins & earnings exceeding $32m!
These three ‘value’ sires also delivered in the sale ring, all of them producing yearlings to sell for $300,000 or more: Nicconi $340k (Inglis Melbourne Prem), Star Witness $320k (Inglis Classic) Magnus $300k (Inglis Melbourne Prem).
The leading Victorian based sire by earnings, Nicconi has now shot to international fame courtesy of his champion son Nature Strip, who dazzled the world’s best sprinters with his scintillating performance to win the Group I King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Nature Strip is the world's Highest Rated Sprinter. He is one of two Group I winners this season for Nicconi with the Bob and Sandra Peters homebred mare Graceful Girl winning the $1million Group I WATC Winterbottom Stakes.
Widden Stud smashed it in the sale ring selling the highest priced yearlings at Inglis Easter and Inglis Premier with total sales of yearlings in 2022 coming in at $35,777,500.
Topping Inglis Easter to be the highest priced yearling sold in Australia this year was the Zoustar colt from Solar Charged that sold for $3million. The full brother to champion filly Sunlight was bought by Tom Magnier and will be trained by Chris Waller.
Zoustar had the rare distinction of siring not only the most expensive yearling in Australia this year, but also the highest priced weanling with his filly from Members Joy topping the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale when fetching $750,000 for Segenhoe when bought by Cloverfield Bloodstock.
Widden Stud also sold three more yearlings for $1million or more:
$1.25million Zoustar colt from Summer Sham MM
$1.05million Lonhro filly from Cool Passion MM
$1million Fastnet Rock filly from Sword of Light Inglis Easter
The success of Zoustar in the sale ring reflected his achievements on the track with the champion son of Northern Meteor siring 154 winners this season of $12.4 million in prizemoney highlighted by four juvenile stakes-winners – Brereton, Twin Stars, Millane and He’s Heaven.
Zoustar recently sired his 30th lifetime stakes-winner and also his first Northern Hemisphere bred stakes-winner with brilliant two year-old filly Lezoo saluting in the Group III Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot.
The team at Widden Stud are always on the lookout for opportunity and we saw it this year with the sale of Spendthrift Australia presenting the chance to acquire some of their well credentialled young sires in partnership with Hesket Thoroughbreds.
Dirty Work, Overshare and Gold Standard have all joined our Victorian roster with the latter kicking a massive goal to produce a Group I winner in his first small foal crop with exciting filly Sheeza Belter beating the colts to win the Group I BRC JJ Atkins Stakes (1600m).
Gold Standard was the only first season sire to post a Group I winner and was second on the first season sire list by earnings with two winners and two stakes horses – Sheeza Belter, Golden Queen – from just eight starters.
A lookalike for his sire Sebring, Gold Standard is another promising young sire that we look forward to placing on a commercial footing to continue his stud career.
Widden Stud’s reputation as ‘The Valley of Champions’ was enhanced this season through the deeds of Group I winning fillies Duais and El Patroness, who both carry the world renowned Widden Stud brand.
Our vast paddocks and pristine environment make for the perfect thoroughbred nursery with El Patroness emerging under the care of Danny O’Brien to win the Group I ATC Australian Oaks, while Edward Cummings has nurtured a superstar in Duais.
She won both the Group I VRC Australian Cup and ATC Tancred Stakes this year following on from her Group I BRC Queensland Oaks win last year and we can’t wait to see what the spring holds for Duais.
